The present invention relates to an electric plug-and-socket device having a fixation device. In German Patent No. 42 02 846 is discussed a fixation device which detachably secures a plug-and-socket device after being joined and which can be provided with an electric plug-and-socket device composed of a plug and a mating plug connectable to it.
The fixation device is composed of a peripheral groove in a plug housing and a burr whose dimension matches this groove on a mating plug housing, so that when this housing having corresponding contacts is joined, a mechanical latching connection on the inside between the groove and the burr leads to an electric connection of the respective contacts.
In rare cases when using this fixation principle, it may occur in the case of an unfavorable tolerance that although electric contact has been made, the interior fixation device, which is not visible from the outside, is not yet properly engaged. If such an incompletely secured plug-and-socket device in a vehicle is evaluated as being in good order in electric testing, the plug-and-socket device may fail under the influence of vibrations during operation of the vehicle.
With this type of fixation device, this would endanger the operating reliability of the plug-and-socket device in an undesirable manner.
The plug-and-socket device having a fixation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that the inadequacy described above is avoided.
Thus, the plug-and-socket device is provided with a control slide that is mounted externally and can be converted from an unlocked position in which it assumes a first position with respect to a mark into a locked position in which it assumes a second position with respect to the mark only when the plug-and-socket device has been completely joined mechanically and has been converted to a closed position.
It can thus be seen from the position of the control slide with respect to the mark whether the plug-and-socket device has been completely converted to the closed position which is additionally secured by the control slide which is converted to the unlocked position.
This yields a plug-and-socket device which is believed to be reliable in operation and can be checked easily in practice.